The Process of Electronics Recycling To Reduce E-Waste
The topic of electronic waste and its effects on the environment has gained a lot of traction recently. This important step toward decreasing your carbon footprint involves reprocessing and reusing the components of electrical equipment. Electronics recycling gives new life to gadgets that would otherwise become e-waste. The list of devices you can recycle is long and includes:
- Air conditioners
- Batteries
- Circuit boards
- Computers
- Extension cords
- Heaters
- Microwaves
- Radios
Before adding old toys or outdated cell phones to e-waste in your area, contact an electronics recycling center for more information. By turning in electronics and equipment, you can prevent the components from those devices from contributing to the decline of environmental and human health.
Manual Separation and Sorting
One of the first stops on the path of electronics recycling is the picking shed. This is where removal parts, such as batteries, are removed manually and sorted according to an established quality control protocol. At this point, disassembly begins. This part of the process requires a lot of labor because everything is taken apart and components are sorted by core materials. The separated piles are then sent further to be reused or recycled further.
Automated Reduction and Separation
The next step in this process is removing dust, magnetic materials, and other particles from metallic and non-metallic components. The reduction process sends components along a conveyor belt where iron, steel, copper, brass, and aluminum are removed. These metals can be sold as they are or reused in new manufacturing. Glass and plastics are also separated out and sold for reuse.
Reuse and New Life
The final destination of the materials used in electronics recycling could be as insulators, fence posts, or in the automotive industry. The many benefits of sending old appliances, toys, and computers through a recycling program, rather than sending them to landfills, are clear, and you can be part of this environmentally friendly process.